Bottle feeding and guiding device



ay 15, I923.

J. H. KONEFES BOTTLE FEEDING AND GUIDING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1921 May 15, 1923.

J. H. KONEFES BOTTLE FEEDING AND GUIDING DEVICE Filed June 27, 1921 s Sheets-Sheet 2 "T 15; I 1?- I- j Z 15 iil l 1 'l L I l 199 INVENTOR. H Konefias A TTORNE Y.

May 15, 1923. 1,454,931

J. H. KONEFES BOTTLE FEEDING AND GUIDING DEVICE F1106 June 27. 1921 I 3 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR.

Joseph Hhonefes ATTORNEY.

a specification.

Patented May 15, 1923.

1 Y rattan tartar,"

1. Bo'rT'Ln FEEDINGVANDGUIDINGDEVICE,

Application filed June 27; 1921. seriaifno. aaassa I The object ofmy invention is'to produce anefiicient and durable bottle-feeding and guiding device of comparativelysimple con.- struction by which bottles of 'varylng diameter may automatically be placed and maintained on a rotating table in sucha way that their openings may be readily and ac curately engaged by the centeringbells or throatsof filling or capping devices located above the rotatingtable. 'My device is designed for, and is illustrated in the drawings as applied 'to, a bottle-capping machine, but may readily be adapted to bottlefilling machines. I

In "the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my device shown inconnection with the rotating table and vertical shaft of a:

rotary bottle-capping machine; Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view ofcertain parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional eleva-' tion on line 33 ofFig. 2; Fig. 41 is an enlarged top plan View of certain other parts shown in Fig. 1; and Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional elevations onlines 5-5 and 6+6, respectively, of Fig. 4, together with, (in the case of Fig. 5) an elevation of certain parts located below.

Referring to the drawings :-To the rotary, vertical shaft 10 of a rotary bottlecapping machine,-there is firmly attached a table lldesigned to receive and support the bottles to be capped while they are passing through the machine. From tablell there proJects upward, fora distance of about 1-}; inches, a suitableboss 12 which is preferably made integral with table 11. On top of this boss there is mounted, with a sliding fit on shaft 10, a star wheel 13, consisting of hub 13 and horizontal, parallel disks 13 and 13, both having fingers 14,

which areprovided with forward shoulders 15. Star Wheel 13 is preferably made in two sections, held together by screws 15, in order that it may be easily removed and replaced in case of any breakage, etc.

H. KoNErns,

.A vertical pin 16. is provided in a suitable opening 17 in hub'13 adapted to have'its 1 lower end inserted into-anyone" of several [JOSEPH H. .xonnrnaor CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

holes 18 I in boss 1 .Holes 18. are' placei'd equidistant "from'shaft 1'0 witli opening '17,.."2 I and are arranged so that the-insertionfof f pin 16 into opening 17 and any of said holes 18will fix star'wheel 13 in such a position} with reference to the capping devices'f(not" shown) above table 11,- that bottles of, acertain diameter resting against shoulders 15 will be in proper position to be engaged bysuch capping devices, provided such bottles] v are-also placed at a proper distancefrom shaft 10 :-the intention being to feed at anyv time only bottles of a substantially equal; diameterinto the machine, and to-shift star wheel 13 to a different position whenever" bottlesv of a certain larger or smallera di ameterare to be capped, by inserting pin) 16, while projecting through opening-1 7,;

. into that hole 18 which will secure for starwheel 13 a proper position for the capping",

of bottles of that particulardiameter. The bottles to be capped'are placed by' ha'n-d, or,

in some other suitable manner,into a feedchute 19, and thence pushed by handor by order to secure ample 'speed it'or disk 20,".

pinion '23is made of considerably smaller, diameter than disk 20.

The, bottles u h resting on disk 20 are confined by vertical:

flanges 26 and 27 which constitute continuatlon of sidewalls 28 and 29, respectively, l

of chute 19. The inner verticalsurface of flange 27 is situated directly above the out; side edge of disk 20, extending; from wall 29 almost to the edge of the circular path.

travelled by the outer ends 30 offingers' 14.

From this point on what/might beter'med a continuation of flange 2?,is1t'urnished by a guide 31 which projects between disks 13 and 13from a vertical stud 32, on which guide .31 is-adjustably heldby a clamp-'collar 33, operated by a vise-screw" 3 1.. I This guide .occupies substantially the position.

shown in Figs. 1 and 2 when bottles of large diameter are to be crowned, but isswiing further cut, away from shaft 10, when bot-' tles ofsmaller' diameter are to be crowned."

heads descend upon, and cr A virtual continuation of flange 26 is furnished by one side of a cam 35 which is oscillatably held, by a screw cap 35 on a vertical pin 36, projecting upward from a slide 37 which is mounted iifa frame 38 so as to be movable, in a direction away from the point at which ends 30 begin to pass'over disk 20, against the pressure of a spring 39 which is adjusted so as to always push slide 37 back into the normal position indicated in Fig. 1, wherein pin 36 rests oirectly above shaft 22. A further virtual continuation of flange is furnished by a guide d0 which is oscillatably mounted on vertical pin 41 and is pulled towards star wheel13 by a spring a2 while its movement in that direction is limited by an adjustable stop-pin e3. This guide 40 is so adjusted that it will push bottles of all sizes yieldingly against guide 31, thus securing their proper distance from shaft 10, provided guide 31 is set in the proper position for the diameter of the bottles to be crowned thecrowning apparatus (not shown) above table 11 being arranged so that the capping n11 the bottles to be crowned while such bottles are pushed along. singly between guides 31 and 10 by shoulders 15 of star wheel 13. The face of guide 40 is preferably lined with leather so as to furnish friction for the purpose of retarding the advance of the bottles and making sure that each of them rests against a shoulder 15 when it passes the capping station. Gain 85 is provided with three slots e4, 44* and 44, each adapted, to receive, when set accordingly, vertical pin 45 which projects upward from frame 38. Cam 35 is of such shape that accordingly as slots 1%, slot 4 1 or slot 4 1 is engaged pin 45, the outer surface of cam 35 projects towards or into the path to be travelled by the bottles delivered from chute 19 so as "to make such pathof proper width for bottles of large, medium or small diameter, respectively. Pin 45 is so located with reference to pin 86 that when a bottleis caught diametrically and pushed against cam 35, by a finger 14 of star wheel 13, hard enough for cam 35 to move slide 37 against the pressure of spring 39, a sort of backward rotation is imparted to the circumference of cam 35, which serves to push the bottle caught between star wheel 13 and cam Z55 backtoward chute 19, thereby obviating its being crushed. in order to prevent, when bottles of small diameter arebeing crowned. the crowning of too many of them into the space between cam 35 and star wheel 18 and to secure the admission of only one such bottle a time to such space, I provide a hook 4", oscillatably mountedon a vertical pin 1-7, located near stud 32, and ordinarily pulled back against a stopeS by aspring 4-9 which is located underneath guide 31. This hook has an upward projection 50 which is adapted to be engaged by each of downward projections 51 on upper fingers 14,50 as to be 7 carried forward, by eachsuch linger passing it, into the path of the bottles advancing from chute 19 in such a manner as to prevent more than one bottle at a timebeing carried within the range of star wheel 13; but projections 50 and 51 are so related to each other that when a pair of fingers let has passed far enough forward to make itimpossible for it to engage more than one of the bottles being carried forward by disk'20, projection 51 of its upper finger 14: rleases 'projeo tion 50, and thus permits hook 46 to be jerked back by spring 49 in time to be engaged by projection 51 of the next following upper finger 14. j v

Any undue discrepancies between the width 01 chute 19 and the channel between cam 35 andfiange 27, on the one hand, and the diameter of the bottles passing through this chute and channel, on the other hand, which remain after cam 3ohasbeenfp roperly adjusted, may be compensated for liners which are hung over one side o fthe chute and the channel, in a manner well ,understood by those familiar with machines, oi" this kind. Guides 52and 53 are provided to direct bottles which have been capped into takeoli' chute (notshown) or similar de vice. 1 k

It is evident that the construction of my device might be changed in many particulars without departing from its essentials. such changes I intend to cover.

1. in a bottle-feeding and guiding device, the combination of a horizontal rot'ary bottie-supporting table; guides above the table, not movable with the'table, forming a cha'nnel adapted to n'rai'ntain and conduct bottles in upright position at a predetermined distance from the center of the table; and means for pushing such bottles into and through said channel. k

In a bottle-feeding and-guiding device, the combination of a horizontal rotary bottle-supporting table; guides above the table, not movable with the table, forming-a channel adapted to maintain, and conduct bottles in upright position at a predetermined distance from the center of the table, at least one of said guides being provided with a 'liricti'onsurilace; and means lorpushing such bottles into and through said channel.

8. In a bottle-feeding and guiding device, the combination of a horizontal rotary bottle-supporting table; guides. above the table, not movable with the table, "forming a channel adapted to'mai'ntain and conduct bottles in upright "position at a predetermined distance from the center of the table; and means for locating such bottles on predetermined radii of such table, andpushing them through said channel while thus lo-' cated.

4;. In a bottle-feeding and guiding device,

the combination. of a horizontal rotary tain and conduct bottles in upright position I at a predetermined distance from the center of the table; and a star wheel mounted in the center of the table, adapted to locate such bottles on predetermined radii of such. table, and to push them through said channel while thus located.

6. In a bottle-feeding and guiding device, the combination of a horizontal bottle-supporting table; guides above the table forming a channel adapted to maintain and conduct bottles in upright position at a predetermined distance from the center of the table; a star wheel adjustably mounted in the center of the table, adapted to locate such bottles on predetermined radiiot such table,

and to push them through said channel while thus located; and means for ad]ust.

ing said star wheel for location of said bottles on variable radii of said table.

7. In a bottle-feeding and guiding device, the combination of a horizontal bottle-supporting table; guides above the table forming a channel adapted to maintain and conduct bottles in upright position at a predetermined distance from the center of the table; a star wheel adjustably mounted in the center of the table, adapted to locate such bottles on predetermined radii of such table, and to push them through said channel while thus located, and a vertical pin in the star wheel, adapted to enter various holes underneath the star wheel, "for adjusting said star wheel for location of said bottles on variable radii of said table. i

8. In a bottle-feeding and guiding device, the combination of a horizontal, rotary bottie-supporting table; two guides above the table, forming a channel adapted to maintain and conduct bottles in upright position on the table; both of said guides being oscillatably mounted on vertical pivots; and

means for adjust-ably fixing said guides in position.

9. In a bottle-feeding and guiding device, the combination of a horizontal, rotary bottle-supporting table; two guides above the table, forming a channel adapted to maintain and conduct bottlesinupright .position on the table, both of saidguides being osciliatably mounted on vertical pivots. near the edge of the table the guide nearest. to. i

the center, or the table extending. :flOlllitS pivot in the direction inwhich the tableturns;jand the other. guide extending e, from its pivot in the opposite direction.

10. In a bottle-feedin and guiding e- I 75.

vice, the combinationeo. a horizontal, ro-.

tary bottle-supporting table; two guides above the table, forming a. channel adapted to maintain and conduct bottles in up:

right. position on. the table, both of said 1 i guides being adjustably mounted on ven-v tica-l pivots;'means.:tor adjustably fixing said; guides in position; and a stop andguides to enable it spring for one of said to yield under pressure.

11. In a bottle-feeding-and guiding device, the combination of a horizontal rotary bottle-supporting table; guides above" the table, forming a channel, adaptedto' maintain and conduct bottles in upright position on the table means, adjoining said channel, for pushing bottles singly into and through said channel; and yielding means,

at the entrance of said channel, opposite such pushing means, adapted to impart a I coming within range oi the pushing means;

substantially as and .tor the purpose described. 12. In a bottle-feeding and guiding device, the combination of a horizontal, ro-

tary bottle-supporting table; guides above the table, forming a channel adapted to maintain and conduct bottles inupright position on the table; means, adjoining said channel, for pushing bottles singly into' and through said channel; and yielding means, adjustable to bottles of several sizes, at the entrance to said channel, opposite such tary bottle-supporting table; guides above the table, forming a channel adapted to maintain and conduct bottles in upright position on the table; means for pushing bottles ma na through such channel; and a retaining means mounted near the entrance to said channel, arranged to prevent more than one bottle at a said channel.

14:. In a. bottlefeeding and guiding de-. vice, the combination of a horizontal, to

tary bottle-supporting table; guides above the table, forming a channel adapted to maintain and conduct bottles in upright position on the table; means for pushing bottime being pushed into 1 backward movement to bottles prematurely i1 tles into and through such channel; and a hook, oscillatahly mounted on a Vertical pin near the entrance to said channel, arranged to prevent more than one bottle at a. time being pushed into the channel.

15; In a bottle-feeding and guiding device, the combination of a horizontal, rotary bottle-supporting table; guides above the table, forming a channel adapted to maintain and conduct bottles in upright position on the table; means forpushing bottles into and through said channel; and a hook mounted near the entrance to said channel, operated by said pushing means and a spring, for the purpose of preventing.

more than one bottle at a time being pushed into the channel.

16.1n a bottle-feeding and guiding device, the combination of a horizontal, totai'y bottle-supporting table; guides above the table, forming a channel adapted to maintain and conduct bottles in upright position on the table; and a rotating feeding disk, extending some distance over the table and fofn'iing; the bottom of a chute leading into said channel, said disk travelling considerably faster under said chute than the speed of the table under said channel.

JOS. H. KONEFES. 

